Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows XP => Topic started by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 06:50:55 AM

Title: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 06:50:55 AM
hi
i have 2 OS on 2 hard drives, the second OS wasn't showing on boot up nor in the boot.ini
so i ran the recovery console and did the
bootcfg /rebuild
it found the second OS so i added it and named it Audio XP now when i boot up i have the option of my default OS and the Audio XP OS but when i boot into either it starts up in my default OS, so it seems on boot up that ive now got 2 choices of the same OS my second one still isn't there.
havent got a clue why its doing this.
thanks

edit to add: i dont have a boot loader and when ive had this working in the past i didnt use a boot loader, i think 
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: patio on August 30, 2009, 06:56:03 AM
Was the 2nd os on the 2nd HDD installed with the 1st HDD hooked up ? ?
If not you will need to install a bootloader.
Or simply choose the drive at boot from within setup...
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 07:11:25 AM
tbh m8 i cant remember if the first HDD was hooked up or not, it was a while ago that id done this , cant remember when or why it stopped working.
i'll give a boot loader a try is there a free one you could recommend?
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: Helpmeh on August 30, 2009, 07:14:28 AM
If you check your BOOT.INI file it will probably show that it has 2 options, one saying windows xp, the other, audio xp, but they both boot to windows xp.
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 07:20:35 AM
yes thats exactly what its doing.
my boot.ini
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP Audio" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 07:40:34 AM
does that boot.ini look correct?
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: Helpmeh on August 30, 2009, 08:19:18 AM
Where do you have the second os installed? It really should be on a different partition.
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 08:26:57 AM
its on a different HDD
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: patio on August 30, 2009, 08:33:03 AM
See Here... (http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/bootini.htm)

The boot ini is incorrect...if Audio is indeed installed to the second drive the disk # should be 1...not 0
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 08:44:02 AM
so it should read like this?

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP Audio" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: patio on August 30, 2009, 08:46:44 AM
Worth a try...did you read the article ? ?
Make sure to save a copy of the old one in case...
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 08:53:24 AM
missed the link the first time having a look now thanks, and ill try that ini change in a min
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 09:03:45 AM
ok just gave that a go, the error i got was

windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem
could not read from the selected boot disk, check boot path and disk hardware
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 09:14:29 AM
what if i try this

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP Audio" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 09:27:55 AM
that didnt work i got the error

windows could not start because of the following missing or corupt files
<windows root>\system32\hal.dll
please reinstall a copy of the above file
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 09:45:50 AM
a m8 has suggested to try Ubuntu so ill give that a go cause i have no idea what else i can try  :-\
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 10:09:18 AM
just had another look at the bios and the HDD's are set up like this

IDE Channel 0 master {none}
IDE Channel 1 slave {none}
IDE Channel 1 master {sony dvd rw]
IDE Channel 1 slave [hl-dt-st gce-8481b]
IDE Channel 2 master [WDC 74]
IDE Channel 3 master [maxtor]
IDE Channel 4 master [hitachi]
IDE Channel 5 master [none]

so looks like all my HDD are set to master, should i only have 1 master and the rest slaves?
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: patio on August 30, 2009, 10:19:50 AM
Just use the BIOS to switche between drives at bootup...
Does this machine have an addon PCI IDE controller card ? ?
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 10:26:26 AM
i dont think this machine has the option to change what order the HDD boot
its either HDD or floppy cd/dvd ect.

i dont if it has a PCI IDE controller card m8  ???
Title: Re: multiple operating system but only boot's to one
Post by: maximum10 on August 30, 2009, 12:16:05 PM
ok so now i swaped my main HDD with the other HDD on my mobo
and when i boot up i get the NTLDR is missing.
would this be the reason i have no duel boot?